MEMBER for Albury Greg Aplin won’t say if his disgraced former Liberal Party colleague Daryl Maguire should leave parliament.
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The member for Wagga, whose seat borders Mr Aplin’s, is under pressure to quit the NSW parliament after facing a corruption inquiry in Sydney on Friday.
Mr Maguire told an ICAC hearing that he sought a secret payment over a property deal involving potential Chinese investment.
His actions were recorded on a tapped phone call.
Following the evidence, Mr Maguire resigned as a parliamentary secretary and said he would sit on the cross bench in parliament.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Sunday she had been told by the state director of the NSW Liberals that Mr Maguire had resigned his party membership.
“Whilst it is for Mr Maguire alone to determine whether he stays on as the elected member until next March, I would encourage him to think carefully as to whether he can effectively represent the people of Wagga Wagga from here on in,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Acting NSW Labor leader Michael Daley and independent MP Greg Piper want Mr Maguire out.
“I believe that if you have so offended against the standards expected of a parliamentarian, then you don’t just leave your party to save them the embarrassment,” Mr Piper said.
“You probably should leave the parliament.”
Asked if he thought Mr Maguire should resign as an MP, Mr Aplin was non-committal.
“I’m not sure how much has come out and to what degree it reflects upon him doing his work,” he said.
“I know nothing about the case, so I can’t react to speculation; there are questions ICAC will have to deal with.”
Mr Aplin, who had been in the Liberals’ party room with Mr Maguire for 15 years, said the revelations were a shock.
“I knew nothing about it whatsoever and I don’t know anybody who did,” he said.
Wagga councillor Paul Funnell said Mr Maguire’s actions had damaged his city.
“He has brought disrepute upon the city by his action and we cannot afford to have that as the largest inland city in NSW,” Cr Funnell said.
“This is what has gone wrong with party politics – too many members toeing the party line instead of representing the people in their electorates.”
Cr Funnell said he had been asked to stand as an independent.